Written by Helen Vivas
On April 21, 2017, Manic Focus dropped his long awaited full-length album Minds Rising. Within a few hours, the album debuted at #7 on the iTunes Electronic Chart and fans are non-stop talking about the depth and complexity of music represented on the album! The album is a compilation of infectious funk, soul, hip-hop, and much more- all tied together with an electronic flare. JmaC features prominent artists from all around the country, from Adam Deitch of Lettuce and Break Science to Jennifer Hartswick of Trey Anastasio Band. Even though Minds Rising is a compilation of artists from across the country, it still feels very Chicago with the prominent hip-hop baselines. Plain and simple- the album is a masterpiece that clearly demonstrates JmaC’s ability to be both a producer and a composer.
As soon as you listen to the first song, “Drop In”, you can’t help but try and categorize the album as hip-hop influenced electronic music, but then the next song “Putting All of my People On” comes on! ProbCause lays down heavier bars that lead us to second guess our judgment of the album. We can’t even begin to categorize Minds Rising and that’s just after listening to 2 songs! “Putting All of my People On” is trap-influenced and causes all sorts of different emotions when compared to the first track “Drop In”. As the album continues the future bass guru Psymbionic enters the picture with “Pushing” and as the listener, we are pleasantly confused by the duo, but enthralled! The complexity of the album continues with Russ Liquid’s funky New Orleans three-piece horn section in “Habit” and The RapperChicks laying down sick verses over the beats. The title of this album says it all- Minds Rising. My mind can’t even begin to understand the level of musical rigor that went into constructing this masterpiece. As the listener, our minds must rise to grasp the journey that JmaC takes us on through the 12 song album- it’s complex, engaging, but best of all elicits pure euphoria!
Take a listen for yourself and let us know what you think:
Spotify: http://spoti.fi/2pKWjQZ
Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/manicfocus/sets/minds-rising
FanLink (page that directs people to their favorite streaming service): https://fanlink.to/MF-MindsRising